


Anchor

by Thatkrazyfangrl



Category: Shades of Magic - V. E. Schwab
Genre: Angst, Brothers, Canon - Book, Canon Compliant, Cute, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Platonic Relationships, Protective, Sleep, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:27:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23699995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatkrazyfangrl/pseuds/Thatkrazyfangrl
Summary: Kell helps Rhy go back to sleep after a nightmare.
Relationships: Kell Maresh & Rhy Maresh
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	Anchor

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is short and sweet! Hope you guys like it!!!

Kell wakes to a sting in his palms. He tries to find a wound or a cut in the darkness but all he feels is smooth skin. The lamp next to him despels the black around him in a second as he turns it on. 

Kell feels confusion rip through him again as he tries to find whatever it was that woke him.

His grogginess leaves when a sharp pain pierces through his lips.

Kell winces at the sting again as understanding dawns.

He is vaguely annoyed to be awoken, but worry rises above his exhausted mind.  
He sighs. 

He gets up awkwardly and makes his way to the adjoining room.

His weariness gives way to concern as the pain in his lips and palm worsens. 

He winces.  
And then starts to panic as he hears a whimper from the next room.

He is next to a thrashing Rhy in seconds. He has bitten his lips through and its bleeding. 

His brothers cries out as tears escape his eyes, stuck in a nightmare.

There's a burn inside his heart, an ache for all the things he can never protect his brother from.

"Rhy"

"Rhy wake up, you're dreaming"

It takes a few minutes of a worried Kell shaking him for Rhy to wake with a gasp.

He looks at Kell with watery eyes and then buries his head in his chest.

Kell feels something like a weight in his chest, feeling protective and helpless at the same time. 

All he had ever wanted was to keep his cheerful, sunny brother happy. To keep him safe. Monsters and assassins he could defeat somehow. Nightmares on the other hand, were slightly outside his realm of control. 

When was the last time Rhy cried like this?

He tries to calm him down as his brother sobs.

Rhy chokes out something that sounds a bit like sorry.

Kell feels his heart break a little.

"Hey, its ok"

"Rhy its ok, im here"

He calms down after a while, and then looks at Kell embarrassed, face turning red as he gathers himself. 

"Um"

"Sorry"  
He whispers.

Kell sighs.

"Its ok. Why didnt you take the tonic Tieren gave? Its supposed to keep away the nightmares."

He wants to sound stern, but it comes out softer.

Rhy doesnt reply.

Kell distangles himself from his brothers arms.  
At least, he tries to.

"No!"

Rhy practically shouts.  
Then winces at how loud he was.

He hangs onto his arm, fingers tight and stressed.

Rhy's eyes are large and terrified and Kell thinks he looks 13 again.

"Stay. Please"

Kell smiles slightly as he says, "Dont you think you're a bit too old to be still sleeping with your brother?"

Rhy looks at him with those amber eyes all big and round, his cheeks going pink, but he doesn't tell him to go.

Kell sighs again as he gets back into the bed.

Rhy burrows into his neck and locks his arms around him, like he's afraid Kell would leave if he let go.

An anchor.

"Rhy"

"Stop smothering me"

Kell falls asleep a long while after his brothers breaths have evened out, thinking of a promise he made 7 years ago that he could not keep.


End file.
